Archive for June 11, 2012

“Pele’s themes are unity, tradition, protection, creativity and change. Her symbols are fire and red colored items. In Hawaii, Pele’s fires develop and redevelop the islands through volcanic activity. It is this creative force that comes into our lives today, cleansing, transforming and rebuilding, augmented by summer’s fiery energy. According to local legend, it is unwise to take any souvenir from Pele’s mountain without asking or leaving a gift, lest bad luck follow you everywhere. She is zealously protective of Her lands and Her children. Traditional offerings include coins, strawberries, hair, sugarcane, flowers, tobacco, brandy and silk.

King Kamehameha united the Hawaiian people, protecting commoners from the brutality of overlords, much as Pele unites them through Her creative, protective power. Kamehameha Day commemorates him and the traditions of Hawaii through arts and crafts, parades, hula dancing and luaus. At home, tis might translate into having some tropical foods served steaming hot (the heat represents Pele’s activating energy). For example, eat pineapple fried in brown sugar for sweet harmony. Or, consume fresh strawberries soaked in brandy to ignite your inner fires with Pele’s inspiration. Finally, wear something red today to energize Pele’s attributes in your efforts all day long.”

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)

“Pele” by Hrana Janto

“Pele is the great Hawai’ian Volcano-Goddess, who is said to live within the crater of the volcano Kilauea, located on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Kilauea (whose name means “spreading”), has had 61 eruptions in historical times, including the one that began in 1983 and is still ongoing. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, perhaps THE most active. The area of Kilauea makes for more than 13% of the area of the island of Hawai’i, and the volcano has added more than 70 acres of new land since the current eruption began.

Pele is said to have originally come from Tahiti, fleeing the wrath of Her older sister Na-maka-o-kaha’i, whose husband Pele had seduced. When She arrived at the Hawai’ian archipelago She searched for a new home, but pursued by Her sister She was driven south and eastwards–which is also the order in which the islands were created, geologically, as the earth’s crust crept slowly over a fixed ‘hotspot’ in the earth’s interior. Na-maka-o-kaha’i, as Goddess of the sea and waters continually flooded Pele’s efforts to establish Her home, until finally the mountain of Mauna Loa on Hawai’i proved too large to be flooded, and Pele was able to make Her home there.

“Pele and Hi’iaka” by Linda Rowell Stevens

Pele has many brothers and sisters, but Her favorite is Her younger sister Hi’iaka (conceived in Tahiti, but was carried in the form of an egg to Hawaiʻi by Pele who kept the egg with Her at all times to incubate it), patroness of the hula, though they too quarrelled over a man. Pele is well-known for Her fiery temper and Her many lovers and rivals, quite a few of whom met unlucky and incandescent ends. She is still (not surprisingly) given much respect on the islands of Hawai’i, and traditionally She may be appeased by offerings of ‘Ōheloberries or gin.

Pele is said to appear in many forms–as a beautiful young woman, an athlete who competes against mortal chieftains, or a fiery-eyed old woman dressed in white. In this form, She has even acquired somewhat of an urban legend: the tale goes that drivers on the road that cuts through Kilauea National Park will sometimes come upon an old lady all in white. She bums a ride and a cigarette, but later, when the driver turns to speak to Her, She has vanished.

“Pele” by Susan Seddon Boulet

Also called: Madame Pele, Pele-honua-mea ‘Woman of the Sacred Land’, Pele-ai-honua ‘Eater of the Land’, Hina-hanaia’i-ka-malama ‘The Woman Who Worked in the Moon’, who is Pele in Her human form.” [1]

I included two videos for your listening and viewing pleasure today because I couldn’t choose between the two of them which I like more. This first one is set to a chant or prayer to Pele

And this video, “Keiki Hula Aia La `O Pele I Hawai`i” was just too cute not to post 🙂

Networked Blogs

Pagan Blog Hop

Spiritual Nomad

Be a Shame-free Blogger!

RAINN

RAINN: The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. One of "America's 100 Best Charities" - Worth magazine

Wipeout Homophobia on Facebook

NEVER confuse HATE speech with free speech - HATE SPEECH KILLS!

Stop Bullying

StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on how kids, teens, young adults, parents, educators and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying. If you or someone you know is being bullied, get help.

A personal journal to share my artistic works, to write about Norse shamanism and traditional paganism, European History, Archaeology, Runes, Working with the Gods and my personal experiences in Norse shamanic practices.